Art Deco buildings, Cincinnati

Building template

Cincinnati Bell Building

Cincinnati and Suburban Bell Telephone Company

Seventh and Elm streets

Harry Hake, Sr.

1930

National Register of Historic Places

The Cincinnati Bell Building is an Art Deco gem; its unique decorative details make it like a gallery on the street. Utilizing art such as carved stone friezes, floral motif metalwork with inlaid polychrome enamel, and cast bronze mini-statues gracing the entry doors, it really makes you stop and look. Much of the art depicts communication and industrialization, but the four carved stone bas-reliefs treat you to a more esoteric look at the classic four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

The interior lobby is richly decorated in carved marble and cast bronze figures with molded plaster vaulted ceilings with original paintings. Elevator door details feature unique Art Deco designs of operators, line workers and sleek women conveying communication. The carved marble figures around the Deco clock show progress through work. This building is a celebration of optimism, industrialization and commercialism.

When built, the Bell building housed the world’s longest straight switchboard with 88 operator positions. The building was built in such a way as to protect the city's phone network. With a push of a button heavy steel doors will lock and metal covers will spring up over the windows on the lower floors. The Cincinnati & Suburban Bell Telephone Company headquarters was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Click on thumbnails for image gallery.

Cincinnati Bell Building exterior from Seventh and Race. Photograph by J. Miles Wolf © 2020

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Cincinnati Bell Building exterior from Seventh St.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved stone detail above main entry doors.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved carved stone bas-relief above main entry doors. These figures represent the classic four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved carved stone bas-relief above main entry doors. These figures represent the classic four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved stone detail above main entry doors.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved stone figure represents fire. A frieze covers the 2 sides of the building with carved telephones and headsets. This is an older image from when the building had an interesting patina, before cleaning of the exterior facade.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved stone detail of old french telephone.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, carved stone detail of telephone poles and wire cutters.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, Interior elevator lobby.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, Interior door and clock with Art Deco details.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of clock with Art Deco detail of men building.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of clock with Art Deco detail of men building, carved in marble.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, Cast metal door panel of men installing telephone lines.

Photographer - J. Miles Wolf © 2020

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of elevator doors showing men installing telephone lines.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of elevator doors showing men installing telephone lines.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of elevator doors showing switchboard operators.

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Cincinnati Bell, Elevator door detail of birds with letters to convey the communications theme.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of female figure with mail.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, marble reliefsand door frame detail above exterior entry doors.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior entry doors with cast bronze figures and details with ceramic features, all surrounded by marble.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior door detail of cast bronze figures of working men.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior door detail of cast bronze figures of working men.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior door detail of cast bronze figures of working men.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior door detail of cast bronze figures of working men.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior window detail of cast bronze floral and geometric patterns, with inlaid stones.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, exterior panel door of cast bronze floral and geometric patterns, with inlaid stone or glazed enamel.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, main entry on Seventh Street.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, detail of copper and brass exterior light fixture.

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Cincinnati Bell Building, architectural detail of carved stone and windows at the top of the building.

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Books by J. Miles Wolf